


I Laugh At Your Naiveté

by SaaviYB



Series: Demonize (Mileenshi) [2]
Category: Mortal Kombat (Video Games)
Genre: Bad Puns, Blood, Cold, Forgiveness, Frostbite, Ice, Minor Canonical Character(s), Survivor Guilt, This takes place after canon MKX plotline
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-19
Updated: 2018-06-19
Packaged: 2019-05-25 10:27:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14975231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SaaviYB/pseuds/SaaviYB
Summary: How in the hell did she survive? She was reported dead, but now she's frozen in a block of ice. What do with her?Forgive?Or assist?





	1. Start

It was so cold. Cold enough to freeze the very blood that ran through her veins. It made her muscles lock up. It was like having nothing inside your body but at the same time having the whole universe camp inside you.

Each step she took was like an entire marathon. How long had she been out here? When was the last time she had felt warmth? The icicles forming on her skin were answer enough–way to long. The dead trees snapped and broke all around her, her mind hyper-aware that she wasn't alone. What could possibly live in these woods? Every time the wind blew it was like a knife of ice cutting its way through this frozen tundra. She knew she could describe this place well: a frozen hellish wasteland.

But all was not lost. Atop a large mountain was the tip of a building, almost out of sight but not quite. After walking in this horrible weather, she may finally find peace. She didn't stop and consider that someone may live in that building, also just out of sight.

She tried running to the base of the mountain, but her legs couldn't carry her weight. She stumbled and fell, but her hopes would not be dashed, so she got back up and tried again. It felt like her arms and legs were cracking on the inside, but she swallowed the pain and marched on. If she could just get out of the way from the wind... She could survive. Make it back to where she belonged.

Her long sharp nails dug through the soft snow, feeling the hard-packed layer underneath, and then the old stone beneath it. She wiped away the excess snow, grabbed a suitable ledge, and pulled herself up. Her skin-tight black suit wasn't cutting the trip she'd made, and she was wishing she had thought ahead. But she couldn't have predicted this. Trekking through a frozen hell at the dead of night. Or was it morning? Afternoon? The sun never stayed out long, and when it did it couldn't warm her up. She stopped believing in a sun.

She climbed with all her remaining strength, not wanting to be here anymore. Death would've been preferable. She didn't want to go through this anymore. Why did she think she could do this? She would've never done this if she knew... Life wasn't fair sometimes.

She dug her nails in, one after the other, climbing the impossibly tall mountain. Could she even climb this? Would she die before she even got to the top? She couldn't give up hope, not now. Her legs felt like caving in; she had very little feeling in them. Was she even climbing the mountain, or was she stuck in one spot? It didn't feel like her body was moving. Like she was frozen, permanently.

She pushed away all her fear and continued to climb. There was a building up there; she had to make it. What of someone actually lived there? Would they ask about her teeth? She was stupid enough to not bring her veil; it could have come in useful. But she needed to leave Outworld immediately; conveniences like that couldn't be afforded. She needed to escape, fast. And now here she was, climbing the side of this mountain, trying to escape the freezing air and wet snow.

Her body was a dull blue mixed with a tan color, frostbite already sunken into the delicate skin. It hurt to breathe. It hurt to move. It hurt to think. The realization was encroaching upon her. She wasn't going to make it. She was going to die out here, a frozen wench with a visible set of vicious teeth and evil yellow eyes. No one would know of her royal heritage; she'd be dissected like one of her meals. She couldn't let that happen. She wouldn't let that happen.

The sky was not only getting brighter, but closer. Was she near the top? She quit questioning her position in the universe and continued to climb upwards, to the brightening sky.

Her fingertips clasped onto a ledge. She looked up and, oh thank the gods, she was at the top. After what seemed like an eternity she was finally here. She couldn't contain her curiosity and she bent her head to look down.

The ground was so far beneath her. Even in the softness of the snow, she'd probably die from the fall. It crossed her mind, and she felt herself letting go...

But she gripped the ledge even harder, and stopped staring at the past. She used the last bit of strength she felt in her body and pulled herself up, finally off the mountain and possibly into a safe haven.

She wobbled as she did it, but she stood up. It felt good to be proud of herself again. She felt accomplished and like she deserves her throne back home. When she got back some changes were going to be made. Her steps made a crunching sound as she walked, but this time around they were soothing. If she could just make it into th—

Suddenly her legs were frozen in place, encased in thick ice. "This is one site to behold, I must say," a male voice said.

Her head snapped up to look at the face belonging to the voice. She knew him. It was that infernal Sub-Zero.

"And here I thought you were dead. A kiss of death, to be exact," he said slyly. He had a smile on his face, even though his words were not of the kind sort.

From behind him appeared another male figure; she knew him as well. The restored Scorpion.

"What the hell is this? I thought Kotal Kahn declared her dead." He did not sound happy.

"It seems we have a imposter Hanzo," Sub-Zero said with a tilt of his head.

"I am no imposter!" Mileena shouted. A pink aura surrounded her hand, her sai appeared out of thin air and she launched it at the cryomancer, aiming for a death shot.

But she was terribly weak, and her death shot sunk like the Titanic. The sai didn't even make contact as Sub-Zero's body was encased in an invisible ice coating; the sai was frozen in place an inch from his exposed chest, nothing visible except the hilt.

It seems his ice capabilities have gotten stronger since when she first saw him, all those years ago when she was at Shao Kahn's side. He didn't even move a muscle to freeze the sai in place; it just happened. She didn't notice it at first when she launched her weapon at him, but it was snowing around him... even though snow wasn't falling from the sky. His own aura was so cold that it froze the air around him, creating pure white snowflakes. It was unnatural. And people called her a freak.

"Why are you here? How are you here, more importantly?" He took on step further, the sai moving with him. He seemed suddenly irritated by it's presence, and whacked it away. It bounced off the ground and fell off the edge of the plateau. Mileena summoned it back to her in a flash of a pink aura.

But the moment her hand touched the sai it froze her arm up to her elbow, connected to the ground and locked her in place. Now only her right hand was free.

"Tell me, Mileena; how and why are you here?" He was getting impatient. But to her it sounded fake. He sounded more entertained than anything.

"I will tell you nothing, ice demon!" She summoned her other sai and threw it at him. But he just knocked it away, the throw nowhere near intimidating. Mileena drew her weapon back, her aura a weaker shade than before.

Just like before her arm was frozen, up to the elbow. It kept her in place; she couldn't move. She screamed in agonized pain as she jerked her hands to break the ice. It ripped her suit and the ice stabbed her, blood seeping through the tiny cracks. It felt like being subjected to torture with needles, all of them puncturing her veins, snapping them in half like a twig.

"What should we do with her Hanzo?" She could distantly hear the cryomancer's words.

"I say we kill her," he snapped.

"You will not kill me." Mileena looked at them both with hatred and death in her eyes.

Sub-Zero looked right back into her eyes, not afraid to stare into the abyss. "No, we won't," he said simply.

He walked calmly to her, not afraid of a devil woman. His expression seemed... Sad. Sympathetic. She wanted to claw it off of his face.

"Go to sleep now," he said gently. He pushed the ice toward her, and within seconds she was encased in thick unnatural ice. She couldn't move. Only her eyes had a semblance of movement.

Sub-Zero broke the ice that kept her glued to the ground, and he picked her up.

"That's it? You're just going to keep her in an ice cage?" Hanzo didn't like the fact that he wasn't going to kill her. She was supposed to be dead anyway.

"Because unlike you, Hanzo, I am not a thoughtless murderer," Sub-Zero snapped at him.

"I am no murderer, Kuai Liang," he returned with a fire.

"You murdered Quan Chi without the consent of us others. The Revenants could have been saved, but no; your hatred caused several people to lose their lives."

"If they were meant to come back to life it would have happened as it happened to us. But they do not seem to mind their places in the Netherrealm, now do they? Kitana and Liu Kang are rulers of hell now; they do not care of their old lives."

"They are possessed, Hanzo; they do not know the difference between what they think they want and what they truly want."

"You cannot save everyone; accept it, Kuai Liang." Hanzo charged forward, not wanting to spend another second with the cryomancer. "You cannot save the forgotten Empress, either," he said with his back to him. He walked into the temple without another word.

Kuai Liang sighed. He knew the ex-fire demon had a point worth examining. He looked down at the frozen trespasser, and noticed she had a single tear frozen on each cheek.

<~>

"I'm going to hand her over to Raiden. He will know what to do with her," Kuai said to his students. They all seemed mystified at the ice sculpture, and even more mystified at the contents within. An Outworlder, here in the Lin Kuei temple? It was unheard of. And the fact that she was going to be staying IN the temple (albeit frozen) was unbelievable. They looked at Kuai with admiration; not being scared and taking her on to them was like holding the entire world on his shoulders.

"Do not think it impressive that I encased her in ice," he reminded his students. "She was weak from her trek in the Dead Woods. I simply did not want to see her die without proper judgement. And if the ex-fire demon were to help remove her frostbite it would be greatly appreciated!" He yelled so that Hanzo, his 'honoured' guest, who was in the next room over, could hear him. He students laughed, as having a guest with the affinity for fire was quite hilarious.

Kuai Liang was greatly gracious that Raiden was infuriated with Hanzo. This was a great opportunity to teach his students about the differences between elements and affinities. The Lin Kuei had an affinity for ice; the opposite element, fire, was primarily held by the Shirai-Ryu. For both clans there were stranglers: people who didn't belong in the clan but could control the element. Like the emperor of hell, Liu Kang, could control fire. Or the likes of the Edenian Tanya, was a skilled pyromancer, whom he met previously. There were even reverse stranglers: members of the clan who couldn't control that element or who controlled an entirely different element. Kuai knew of such a person... Smoke. If he wasn't a Revenant... He sighed; he didn't want to dwell on it for long.

Then there were the 'others': those who didn't belong to any clan but could control a specific element. Raiden was a primary example, as he could control lightning and create thunder with the blink of his eyes. Fujin, another protector of Earthrealm, could summon wind at will. The likes of, as much as it hurt to mention, Shinnok and Quan Chi, had a close connection with death and necromancy. Another Edenian, by the name of Rain, could summon water, even some lightning (if it was connected to water somehow). The only other person Kuai could think of was the retired Black Dragon member Tremor, who had the affinity for earth (including crystal and magma). Though both Kung Lao and Kitana, even in their Revenant states, could use bursts of wind, he didn't count them. It was more of a passive talent, not a usable skill.

"Tonight my pupils, we rest our souls. Tomorrow I leave for the Sky Temple, with the Outworldian. While I am gone, you will practice the sequences I taught you. I will leave the furnace here to keep you all warm."

"I AM NOT A FURNACE!" The Shirai-Ryu yelled. Kuai just smiled; it seemed he wasn't one to joke.

The students laughed at the fire affinity's outbursts. Tonight, they ate and rested. Tomorrow, it would become serious.

<~>

The Ice Way stretched before him, created by his doing. He needed a way to and from the Sky Temple, and a standard vehicle seemed odd and out of place. So he used his ice abilities to propel him forward, and thus, the path was born.

He looked down at his cargo. Mileena's frozen body lay in his arms, unmoving. He had broke off bits of ice in order to position her body in his arms, like a bride. Since his body was going to be sideways the entire trip, he needed to make sure her extremities weren't going to be knocked off by passing trees. He took one last deep breath and went ahead, the unconscious woman unaware of the journey.

<~>

Kuai Liang walked behind Fujin as the wind god led him through a few doors of the Sky Temple, the tour ending when they reached Raiden.

"I assure you, Grandmaster of the Lin Kuei, we were asserted by Kotal Kahn himself that Mileena had perished by the hands of his trusted first minister, the Kytinn D'Vorah. Though in light of everything that has happened, Shinnok being released, our Revenaized friends becoming permanent soldiers to the Netherrealm, D'Vorah herself being a traitor, somehow it does not surprise me that Mileena is not truly dead."

"What is surprising was that she turned up in Earthrealm," Kuai responded.

"That is surprising. Of all the places... Then again, she has very few allies and fewer friends. Even the realm of Chaos would have been kinder to her."

"Maybe since we thought she was dead, she could escape into Earthrealm without much trouble."

"That would make the most sense, but she trekked through the Dead Woods. If the rumors are true, anywhere near your territory would result in death. Even an Outworlder, with their tough skin, would not last," Fujin thought aloud.

"Yes, that is true... Walking through the Dead Woods without the innate ability of cryomancy should result in death. But as you see, she is still alive within this ice."

Fujin looked back at Mileena. "I control the wind, Grandmaster of the Lin Kuei; I cannot tell the difference between the dead and the alive when they are encased in ice," he said smartly.

"Well, I can assure you, she is alive within this ice." Kuai smiled at the wind god's seemingly good attitude.

The door in front of the duo loomed large, a stop to their tour. "This is where I disappear, Lin Kuei Grandmaster. Raiden has invited a majority of the Earthrealm defenders here to see the Outworlder's trial. Once everything is decided, I assume you will leave?"

"I assume so, yes. If everything becomes decided today, I will leave. Or maybe enjoy the weather a while longer," the cryomancer smiled.

Fujin smiled, then bowed. The Grandmaster bowed his head, not being able to bow his whole body. The wind god then opened the doors, a wave of faces turning to face him.

Kuai walked into the room, and the former Outworld Empress's body encased in ice became the main attraction. He could feel everyone stare at him, along with the woman in his arms. But most importantly, Raiden was looking at him with those tainted red eyes. The door behind him shut, like a coffin being slammed because the face was too badly mangled.

He was sure everyone knew by now that Raiden had become a darker version of himself. Sacrificing himself for the Jinsei wasn't the smartest plan, as Shinnok's taint had consumed him. But no one said anything; fear had silenced them.

Kuai let go of Mileena's legs, letting them touch the floor. He positioned her so she was on her knees facing Raiden, with her hands on both sides of her. The cryomancer took his hand and karate chopped her shoulder, the ice breaking off and disappearing in front of the group.

<~>

Mileena immediately gripped her shoulders, the cold raking through her body like sand in a dust storm. She looked up slowly, afraid her neck would break if she moved to fast. Her first site was Raiden, the thunder god.

It scared and infuriated her. His eyes were like lava, a burning red instead of that haunting blue she knew from previous encounters. His clothes went from peasant to king, calm and inviting to fearful and domineering. His nails were as long as hers, and as sharp as well. Shinnok's amulet was just there, out of her reach, perched on his chest like a pin of heroism. It sickened her, to look at him. He was her father's murderer; him along with those damn Elder Gods. If she could kill him, right now... She'd die happy.

<~>

Sub-Zero looked upon the frost-bitten Mileena, and was irrevocably roughed with grief. Her body shook like she was in the epicenter of a earthquake. Her skin was so blue it was unnatural. You could audible hear her teeth clank together. It made him regret keeping her frozen. Just how long had she been in trekking in the Dead Woods? If she was this bitten with the sting of permanent winter... He didn't want to think about the consequences.

<~>

The room had grown silent once more. Sub-Zero created an ice board under Mileena's dropped sais, sliding them away from her, towards the door.

Raiden crossed his arms, looking disappointed at the mess in front of him. "Shao Kahn's heir, in a frozen heap in front of me. I expected better." His voice was harsh, scolding even, as if he expected her to put up a fight. She looked at him, her lips wobbling, trying to say something. But her throat was dry, and nothing came out. She just bowed her head, trying to keep the warmth with her. She was still shaking violently.

"Mileena of Outworld, the forgotten Empress," he went on. "Someone better has come along to take your place as the ruler of Outworld. Someone who is not a child like you. Someone who is not a disappointment to those around him. Why were you such a hassle to deal with, Mileena? I would have gladly kept away from Outworld if you were to grow up and become the empress you were supposed to be. Who Shao Kahn made you to be. Who you were created from. Kitana now rules the Netherrealm, yet you, a identical twin if you exclude the Tarkatan DNA, rule nothing but your own pity. You cannot even reign over yourself; how would you ever hope to rule over Outworld?" Raiden finished with a semi-shout. His words dripped with disgust. "There is no point in keeping you alive any longer. Shao Kahn declared you his heir, yet you ruined it by your selfish, vengeful, and psychotic behavior. Kotal Kahn does not even have to know you are alive. You are to die, right here. Grandmaster Sub-Zero of the Lin Kuei, since you are the one who found her and brought her to me, I give you the honour. Freeze her and shatter her body."

"NO!" Mileena croaked out as she shot up her head. "I-I-I don't c-c-care what you do to me... Just... P... Please... n-n-no more cold. No m-more ice."

Raiden looked upon her with unwanted pity. "If you find an unwarranted flaw in the plan, you fix the flaw, not the plan. You know what to do, Sub-Zero." Raiden stepped away from Mileena's cold body, and gave a nod to the Grandmaster.

He didn't want to do it... He knew he would regret this for the rest of his unnatural life. But the Lin Kuei had debts to repay.

The Kori Blade materialized out of thin air, his grip like steel. The ice shimmered and gave off a frozen mist. He took one last deep breath...


	2. End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She could kill him, of that she had no doubt. But she wanted that crown again. To have _him_ dead and gone.
> 
> What was she willing to do to accomplish it?
> 
> Was she willing to side with her immortal enemy?

Before he could move his ice sword and eliminate his target, she swayed and collapsed to her side. He hadn't noticed the fact previously, but she had some holes in her body suit, along with some small cuts to go with them. She must have passed through a frozeberry bush; their thorns were sharp enough to cut glass.

The whole room looked upon her with pity. Her body was frost-bitten, she had dried blood on her arms, and even though she was unconscious, her whole being was shaking like a leaf in a tornado.

Sub-Zero couldn't do it. The Kori Blade dissipated into the air, without shedding any blood. He couldn't do it. The Lin Kuei had debts to repay, but not like this.

"It seems we may have to wait for her demise," Raiden said aloud. He looked directly at the Grandmaster with a mix of anger and forgiveness. "Everyone may leave. I do not wish to spend another moment near this failure." He gestured to Mileena but his statement could have been toward Sub-Zero. "When the cold is no longer in her veins, we will commence her trial. It would be unforgiving to murder her in cold blood."

There was the Raiden everyone knew. Forgiving the damned, even when he probably shouldn't. Even if the situation was grave.

He didn't need to tell anyone twice; they started filling out without a single word. Sonya, Johnny, Cassie, and Jax left the room first, as Jacqui and Takeda followed suit. Jin came up behind, taking up Fujin's side. Hanzo, who had flameported here, sped-walked out of the room, not wanting to be here anymore. The last one out was Kenshi, his sword gently and quietly banking against his backside. The only person left was Kuai, at the mercy of Raiden. The doors, once again, shut like a coffin lid.

"You could have killed her, Kuai Liang," Raiden started as he pointed to Mileena. "It would have been more pleasant for her if you were to just end her life here, as she was unconscious. Why did you not?"

"I did not think it right to kill her here. Like this. It would be more than she deserves, but at least an honourable death would be a better way to handle the situation," he stated. He wasn't sure how this dark version of Raiden would handle the idea, but the good Raiden would understand.

"She is a threat to Earthrealm, Lin Kuei. She was not close to taking back her throne, she has not been close in five years, but she ended up with Shinnok's amulet with the help of that Black Dragon member Kano. If she had the determination and will once, she will have it again, I have no doubt. Do you want her to start another war with Earthrealm? Lose more of our comrades? We may have gotten you, Hanzo Hasashi, and Jackson Briggs back to the world of the living, but we were not so lucky with the others. Do you remember your brother, Bi-Han? Do you remember our companion, Smoke? Your brother died at Shao Kahn's tournament, Smoke became a Revenant to the Netherrealm, and we cannot get either of them back. Do you want that to happen to the rest of Earthrealm's defenders? To you? To the likes of our youngest generation, who have only just begun to understand the importance of their roles? Our relationship with Kotal Kahn and his forces may be strained, but at least it is not forced like it would be if it were Mileena at Outworld's throne. Her psychotic behavior cannot and will not be tolerated."

Raiden wasn't screaming, but his tone of voice was clear; he didn't want any back-sass. But Kuai gave him a double helping.

"Mileena has survived death before. D'Vorah killed her, in a gruesome manner. Yet here she is. Do you think she will not rise again? If she could survive death once, she could do so again. Do you want that threat looming over all of our heads? And to make matters worse, she found a way of entering Earthrealm without anyone even blinking an eye. She could do it again."

"An even more acceptable reason to kill her. What point are you trying to make? Why are you trying to save the likes of Mileena, Kuai Liang?"

"Survivor's guilt, maybe."

"How is that applicable to this situation?"

"I feel guilty for coming back from the dead. For being one of only three people to return to life. I want everyone else to have the same chances I had," the cryomancer said honestly.

Raiden just sighed in response. "You cannot save everyone. It is an impossibility. However, if you can convince me to spare her... I may think it over."

Kuai thought of all the ways he could convince him. He wasn't sure he would agree to any of it, but he had to try and save her. She didn't deserve a fate like that; she didn't deserve death. The only step left was to convince Raiden of the fact...

<~>

Mileena shot up from her dazed sleep, afraid her dream was real. She was in a snowy landscape, surrounded by frozen water and soul trees. It was frighteningly beautiful. But she was frozen, fixed in place, with blood oozing from large and tiny cracks. She screamed and screamed, but no one cared. At the very end, she was continuously broken into little pieces, only to be rebuilt and shattered again. Over and over and over...

"Are you better, Mileena?" A male voice asked.

She sharply turned her head, trying to find the voice. She turned her body around, lo and behold, it was the ice demon Sub-Zero. She jumped off the body-sized platform and summoned her sai. She opened her maw and snarled grotesquely at the cryomancer.

"You will not kill me!!!" Without hesitation she launched her weapon and aimed it at his head.

But the sai came to an inch from his eyeball, stopped by the sheer force of his ice abilities. "I see your aim has improved."

No words she spoke as she drew her weapon back to her hand. But she immediately dropped it, remembering how she got frozen in the first place. So she had to fight hand-to-hand? She could manage.

The ice near his eye disappeared, without a scratch on him. "I do not plan on fighting you, Mileena."

"Why not, ice demon?! You froze me and took me to that damned Raiden! Why else but to kill me?!" Her voice was reaching very high octaves.

"There has been a change in plans. You will not be dying today."

"Then when?!"

"Never, since you are partially Edenian."

"What is that supposed to mean?!" She was so confused; was this some kind of purgatory?

"Raiden has chosen to strike a deal with you instead of kill you. He thinks that you could be better suited to deal with Outworld, after some... 'improvements' have been made."

"I am not some project he can fix when he feels like it, ice demon," she snapped at him.

"Please, call me Kuai. Or Grandmaster, if you prefer," he said calmly.

"I will call you neither."

"Alright then. Whatever you wish."

"I wish to leave... wherever the hell this is!"

"Are you sure? Leaving would imply you intend to brave the Dead Woods again."

For the first time in their conversation she had no response. She couldn't remember it clearly, but she had snippets of being in those 'Dead Woods.' It was an accurate name, to say the least. She couldn't go through that again... no matter how much she wanted to leave this infernal 'Kuai.'

"Fine. Tell me what this imposter Raiden wants from me. And tell me where I am."

"You are in a chamber, that originally had no purpose. I had to create a makeshift cot for your body to lie on. I asked the ever-so-helpful Hanzo to carve out a large stone, for you. Then he heated up a large amount of rocks and wood to keep your body warm as you slept. If you were to look under your feet..." He hinted.

Mileena reluctantly did so, and saw what he was mentioning. Rocks and wood laid haphazardly under a thinly cut grate, heat radiating off all the pieces. It circled around the stone she had slept on. She looked at the cot she had awoken from, and saw the same setup as the floor but on a smaller scale, to fit her body. If she was near the Dead Woods, that would explain the setup here... It also explains why he didn't take any steps closer to her; he just might melt.

"As for why Raiden has kept you alive, it is not as simple. It will be a very long process, one that requires your participation. If you decline me, right now, you become an Earthrealm enemy and I kill you, no answers given and no questions asked."

He didn't say anything about her assuming Raiden was an imposter. So it seems he might think so, as well. "I'm listening," she purred. She stood straighter as well, and grabbed her sai using her pink aura.

The ice demon stood straighter as well, a very long explanation incoming. "Raiden has chosen to trust you for now. As have I. In the following time, as the end is decided by how well you do, will we teach all about proper ruling." Her teeth slanted as she frowned and snarled. "Once that step is complete, Raiden will contact a loose assassin and pay him well enough to murder Kotal Kahn, or at least take him hostage. If that goes as planned we will set you as the Kahn of Outworld."

Mileena smiled at this. To be Kahnum again...

"However, Raiden requests that the two of you sign an official war-ending pact, which he has deemed the Outearth Treaty. He wants you to come to the Sky Temple periodically to settle any arguments you two may have. Once it is official, Earthrealm and Outworld will end all wars and battles and will become officially allies. The two will no longer meddle in each others' business. Any intimate details are to be settled during the process of writing the treaty."

"So he wants peace between our worlds? After all that he has done?"

"Yes," he answered simply.

Mileena didn't want to agree to any treaty with the likes of that damned Raiden. But it did mean she could freely be Empress again, with no threat of war with Earthrealm and if she could fit it into the guidelines... They couldn't meddle in the affairs of Outworld. And, as the bloody cherry on top, Kotal Kahn would be dead. She could be rid of him. She wanted nothing more than to murder Raiden, damn him, but if she could become Empress again... Just to be Empress again...

"I accept your offer; for now, at least."

"That is wise of you, Mileena. Now please-" He stopped mid-sentence and took a few steps to his left. What was he doing?

His feet came upon a certain tile of the floor, and it depressed downward. Sounds of rocks came rushing up from the ground, grinding against one another nonstop. She looked at the ice demon with sudden hatred, feeling stupid for believing him. But he looked at her with a simple expression.

"Do not worry, Mileena; I am just giving you a change of clothes."

She was horrendously confused. A change of clothes? She looked down at her attire and realized that her black body suit was ripped and shredded, even spotted with blood, even though it was hard to see. She DID need a change of clothes... But how many outfits did he have? By the sound of the stone, it was like his was bringing forth a entire arsenal of clothing.

After a few more extended seconds pillars started to appear from the floor, all of them the same shape and size. Though they seemed worn down from the weather, as a few chips of rock were missing from the amalgamation of the outcome. When they were all raised to their highest point, Kuai turned on one foot and faced away from her.

"Since I cannot move, as the pillars will shoot back down, you will have to change with me here. I am sorry for that," he said shyly. "There should be a outfit in front of you."

Sure enough, there it was. Similar to his outfit in color, but different in style. It wasn't something she'd wear. "Why do I need to change here? You have a temple close by, do you not?"

"Your body may freeze with the outfit you have on. And it has dried blood on it; bloodcrows will peck at your skin until there is nothing left but bone."

"Bloodcrows, you say? I'll keep that in mind," she said mischievously.

The ice demon didn't say anything.

Since he wasn't going to entertain her, she grabbed the outfit he had for her. Were these colors of his clan the... Lin Kuei, was it? It seemed he was the leader. So by wearing this she was submitting her will to him. But it would keep out the cold, quite well if looks had to do with anything. So she stopped grumbling, started to undress and become a member of this 'Lin Kuei.'

<~>

"Training Mileena" wasn't exactly the best terminology to use. It was more preparing her for her role as Kahnum. She still fought about all her rights as ruler, but Kuai Liang told her that there was a line she couldn't cross. But she wanted to cross it, badly. Oh so badly.

Mileena was the rightful heir, by Shao Kahn's decree. It didn't matter that she was a clone of Kitana. So she technically should inherent his hammer. When the treaty is settled, she'll receive it. Hopefully.

For her the process was taking way to long. In fact, they weren't training her at all–they were just keeping her here for some ungodly reason. If only she could eat them without anyone noticing...

Mileena stayed at the Lin Kuei Temple for as long as she needed. She had gotten used to the young children asking her questions about her teeth, her affinity (which apparently was for magic), her heritage, and all sorts of others. Some of them were quite cute. Cute enough to eat.

Of course, she did some training with Sub... Kuai, the 'Grandmaster' of the temple. She still hated calling him by his name, like he deserves it. Their record was pretty even, Kuai only ahead by a few matches. In skill, he surpassed her without even looking back, but in viciousity she was leagues ahead. He wasn't the type to harm others at will, but she was. Though, she couldn't hurt him to bad, as it would raise alarm. Partially the reason he was ahead. Partially.

Life in the cold winterland wasn't easy for Mileena, but she wouldn't give up without a fight. And fight, she did. For a while.

<~>

Five months have passed since she said yes to the idea of a treaty. Five months she was stuck here, on a bridge between ally and enemy. Five months she has waited for her chance to rule Outworld again. Five months she had to deal with the Lin Kuei. Five months she had to deal with Kuai Liang.

Finally, the waiting was over.

Here she was, waiting on Raiden, in a room she barely remembers. She had on an outfit similar to those of the Lin Kuei, but she bargained for them to make hers into a black and pink set. It looked quite nice, if she said so herself. She'd never say that to their faces, though.

Beside her was the Grandmaster, Kuai Liang, here just to freeze her if things went sour. She had to make sure things stayed sweet.

Saying goodbye to the young Lin Kuei was harder for her than it should have been. It appeared she had grown... attached to them. In a sense they were just like her–a freak by other's standards. Some had even hugged her (some were small and hugged her legs). It made her emotional, even if she didn't understand it.

The doors behind them swung open, and Raiden walked in, his attire still a tainted red. Fujin closed the door behind him.

He took up a spot on the other side of the table, opposite of the two.

"You have been here for five months," Raiden began. "All of us here have agreed a treaty between Outworld and Earthrealm would be most beneficial to both sides. It starts today. I have already contacted a specific person in another realm to assassinate Kotal Kahn. Once that is declared done, you will assume the throne, and we can begin our treaty. We may have some citizens hate us for putting you on the throne, for creating a treaty; but they do not need to know who or why. They just need to accept it."

He paused, and looked at both Mileena and Kuai Liang. To see if they were still with him. Mileena was enthralled as he spoke, her patience wearing thin. All she wanted was to become Kahnum again. To rule as an Empress again...

Raiden's hands unraveled a parchment, and laid it out flat. He took four writing stones and placed an individual one on every corner. He took out a ceremonial knife, along with a few blessed washcloths from a compartment on his side, and positioned them next to the parchment.

"In front of you is a Non-Aggression Pact. This will hold us over until the treaty is signed. It states that during that time, we are to hold all aggression and we become temporary allies. It states that we will not inform any of the citizens of either world, though if they somehow find out it is not against the tide. Once we become official allies, this will be kept away and the treaty will take its place. Read the pact and see to that you agree with the temporary terms." He gently scooted the parchment towards Mileena for her to read.

Mileena actually had a hard time reading Earthrealm English. Thank gods there was a Outworld translation at the bottom, and the script was very pretty. She read it careful, twice and and even three times. It was simple, and wasn't too hard to follow. She came up with a lot of loopholes throughout the document. Just in case.

"I see nothing wrong with this. I agree on every front."

"That is always a good start to a pact or treaty. Now all that is left is for you to sign your name." Raiden picked up the ceremonial knife and a washcloth and passed it to Mileena. "I have already signed my name in blood. You will do the same. Make sure to stamp your finger to the page."

Mileena took the decorative knife in her left hand. It crossed her mind to stab the damned god in his face, but it would just cause to much trouble. And it would ruin her outfit. She liked the outfit.

The pointed end of the knife pricked her right pointer finger, and a few drops of blood dripped to the document. She gave his name some space and began to write her name. M... I... L... E... E... N... A. She pressed her bloody finger to the page.

The war between Outworld and Earthrealm, was over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YAAAAS I'm so glad I posted these here. Both chapters were uploaded to DeviantART, under HerMajestyYoungblood. If you see this under that name, it's me ^^
> 
> I remember being obsessed with this when the game first came out and a full year after. I missed it honestly x3

**Author's Note:**

> My Mortal Kombat days are here! I'm so glad to go back and re-read this XD Brings back good memories.


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